This motorcycle tour takes us through British Columbia, to Telegraph Creek. It’s a detour on an itinerary for the West Canadian Arctic, and if you love the combination of scenery and riding, this video is for you. The bikes in question are a BMW R1200 GS Adventure, the KTM 990 Adventure and the BMW F800 GS. One of the first pieces of advice is not to forget the wine for a little celebratory drink at the destination. My kind of tour…

Source | OneWheelDrive

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Dakar 2010 has concluded with Cyril Despres and his KTM taking out first place. Pal Ander Ullevalseter came second, also on a KTM, but what a success story for Aprilia! The RXV 4.5, ridden by Francisco Lopez, came in third in a fantastic result for its first official participation in Dakar.

The final stage was to Buenos Aires was won by Ruben Faria, with Ullevalseter coming second and sealing his overall place. On his overall victory, Despres said it was a hard Dakar this year, but he never doubted he would win it. The last stage was fast and easy and takes the riders into Argentina’s capital after 15 days and nearly 9,000 km of racing. See the final results first to fifth, after the jump.

Continue reading: Aprilia RXV 4.5 Rally Dakar podium place

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Over the shortened route for the Stage 9 of Dakar 2010, Marc Coma won the stage with his KTM. The stage was about 170 km long due to severe fog in some areas, and it also marks the last stage in the Acatama desert.

Francisco Lopez‘ new Aprilia RXV 4.5 continues to do well at third overall and coming in third for this stage after Cyril Despres with his KTM. The brand also took out fourth spot, before Yamaha came in fifth with rider David Fretigné. Despres is in first place overall before Stage 10 starts.

Stage Nine:
1° #1 Marc Coma (SPA) KTM;
2° #2 Cyril Despres (FRA) KTM;
3° #9 Francisco Lopez (CHI) Aprilia;
4° #4 Pal Anders Ullevalseter (NOR) KTM;
5° #12 David Fretigné (FRA) Yamaha;

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Here’s a great challenge between the Ducati 1198 S, the Aprilia RSV4 Factory and the KTM RC8R. The Ducati is still a classy, impressive bike with heaps of torque, but if you love Aprilia, or are a KTM fan, this could be a very close call for you. The KTM RC8R V-Twin is a big effort from the company, and they deserve kudos for being able to compete with the experience of the likes of Ducati and Aprilia. Check it out in the video.

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Here’s a road test video of the new KTM Duke 690 R for 2010. The video has been put together by the guys at 1000ps.at, and while a little slow going at first, we do get some on-road action of the Duke 690 R. The close up shots in the video show a compact, elegant bike which could be easy to overlook on first impression.

The 2010 Duke 690 R weighs about 149 kg, which provides a nice power-weight ratio when considering its 70 hp. The carbon fibre elements show an elegant touch to the look, along with the characteristic KTM orange tint. If you’re looking for a Christmas present, this nifty bike is already available on the European market.

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Here’s a lovely little gallery of the 2010 KTM Duke 690 R, with a higher performance motor than the standard Duke 690 version. The increase of 36 cc takes the 654cc motor up to its namesake of 690. The bore and stroke was increased to achieve this, and the compression ratio was subsequently modified, achieving another 5 hp extra, with the Duke 690 R now having a total of 70 hp.

Some carbon fibre elements feature, and the colour is the classic KTM orange. The Duke 690 R has a dry weight of 150 kg, and should prove to be a lot of fun. It costs about 9,350 euros, depending on the market.

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KTM has produced two replica versions to celebrate its 2009 motocross victory in MX2 and a second place finish in MX1. The first is the SX-F 250 with Marvin Musquin competition livery. It will be produced in a limited run of 200 units.

The other limited edition is the SX-F 450 dedicated to Max Nagl from MX1, to be made in just 100 units. Compared to the standard versions, the new models have a few additional racing elements with Akrapovic exhaust, PHDS kit (Progressive Handlebar Damping System), and of course the essential orange touch to various components.

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The KTM RC8 superbike takes on the four-wheeled KTM X-Bow quad car. It’s not quite the same as the Ducati vs Ferrari video we saw, but the RC8 is a very sexy bike, and while the video is in Spanish, you get an idea of what’s going on. The idea is to find out which is faster around a lovely Austrian mountain road. It looks like it was a lot of fun and we can only imagine the road was closed at the time - can you imagine a few tourists in a caravan coming down the road?

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The KTM Superduke 990 gets a touch-up for the new year with a new paint job, though it keeps its radical design. The Superduke 990 has been an iconic model for KTM, and its strong looks are matched by a strong personality in the engine performance, too.

It’s equipped with the LC8 twin cylinder, V at 75° and has 120 hp at 9,000 rpm and 100 Nm of torque 7,000 rpm. When looking at the Superduke 990 R version, power is increased to 132 hp. A suspected power upgrade in the Superduke range for 2010 is not on the cards, with the models getting a couple of aesthetic upgrades instead.

The engine management system gets tweaked for better torque and power when cornering, and the main difference is a new livery in olive green and white, with new Duke graphics. The 990R will keep its classic orange, white and black racing version colours.

KTM Superduke 2010

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This KTM 125 prototype is at the EICMA show, and while we’ve said it already, it’s part of an impressive stand from KTM, showing off its “Ready to Race” philosophy. The new naked bike is typical KTM design, and is part of the segment of 125 road racers, developed by KTM’s R&D division.

The same team that produced this bike worked on the Duke 690, while the KTM 125 look was conceived by KTM partner, Kiska Design. Apparently it’s pure joy to ride, and we can believe it. It features reduced weight and better handling with a powerful four-valve, liquid cooled engine with 15 hp.

The light tubular frame and new exhaust system round off what is quite a bike to behold. The aim was to combine extreme handling with extraordinary stability, and the suspension system features WP Suspension components. Brembo racing brakes top off the touch of exclusivity. Next to the KTM 125 at the stand is also the Racer version, with new exhaust and a more aggressive design.

Continue reading: KTM 125 prototype at EICMA

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